Mei Qing followed Master Ku, inwardly groaning with reluctance. Just earlier at Zhang Shisan’s place, he had spent the entire day drawing talismans, leaving him utterly exhausted. Now, Master Ku had whisked him away for cultivation practice without even a moment’s rest—was he trying to work him to death?
Still, having formally taken a master and joined the sect, he couldn’t very well voice such complaints. What frustrated him more was that this time, Zhang Shisan not only failed to stop it, but cheerfully instructed him to follow Master Ku diligently, saying he would pass on more talisman techniques at dawn the next day.
“You two can take shifts, but I have to keep going nonstop! Is there any mercy left in this world?” Mei Qing felt like crying but had no tears left.
Inside Master Ku’s guest room, two meditation cushions had somehow already been placed. After entering the room with Mei Qing, the master gently closed the door and strode directly to the left cushion, sitting down calmly.
Mei Qing felt a sudden dizziness, as if he were watching himself slowly approach the other cushion, cross his legs, close his eyes peacefully, breathe deeply and evenly, his mind focused and serene, as if he had fallen asleep.
Asleep? Then what was he now…
Only then did Mei Qing realize he seemed to be sleepwalking. He could see his own body sitting on the cushion, regulating his breath and entering a meditative state, while simultaneously feeling himself standing beside it, watching blankly—just like seeing oneself sleeping within a dream.
“Why is this happening?” Mei Qing was startled. He quickly looked up and saw Master Ku standing beside him, smiling slightly: “How is it? Surprised?”
“Ahh—Master, you’re sleepwalking too—” realizing his words were inappropriate, Mei Qing hastily corrected himself: “Master, what exactly is going on here?”
With a faint smile, Master suddenly caused the entire scene of the guest room to fade away, their seated forms dissolving into emptiness. When Mei Qing focused again, he found himself in a vast, boundless expanse. They now stood suspended in midair. Looking up, stars and moonlight shone high above, wild winds blew gently, and clouds stretched nowhere in sight. Looking down, shimmering waves stretched endlessly beneath them.
Examining carefully, Mei Qing noticed a dark line in the southern horizon, oddly familiar—it was the Yunxiang Island. He suddenly realized that the two of them had instantaneously appeared above the Mihai Sea where they had once traveled.
Master’s robe fluttered like a leisurely stroll in the garden, strolling calmly across the dark Mihai. With a light chuckle, he said: “Since you’ve joined my sect, naturally you must first understand our sect’s magical abilities. Earlier, I mentioned that the Huayan Sect is renowned for its ‘Four Dharma Realms,’ ‘Six Characteristics,’ and ‘Ten Mysterious Gates.’ Yet the most fundamental is our sect’s cultivation path.”
“The magical abilities and cultivation path are root and branch; without the path, magical abilities are but illusions. If we speak of our sect’s cultivation method, it lies solely in the four words ‘Dependent Origination of the Dharma Realm.'”
As he spoke, Master casually lifted his robe and sat down in midair. His voice rang like jade and chimes, reaching Mei Qing’s ears with clarity, truly as if sipping fine wine.
He continued speaking throughout the entire night. As stars shifted and the moon descended, dawn approached. With a laugh, the master exclaimed: “The moon rabbit gives way to the golden crow; all has been but a dream. Awaken, awaken!”
Mei Qing suddenly jolted, his soul returning to his body as he quietly awoke. He still sat cross-legged in Master’s room, the surroundings unchanged. A ray of morning sunlight shone through the window, casting a radiant glow upon Master’s face, smooth and jade-like.
As if sensing Mei Qing’s gaze, Master slowly opened his eyes and smiled: “Do you understand now?”
Mei Qing suddenly felt a surge of clarity. The Master’s smile, illuminated by the morning light, seemed especially bright and gentle. At the same time, the essence within him began to flow naturally. Though he was still indoors, he clearly sensed the brilliance of the morning sun, as if a warm stream were gently flowing from above into his body. A golden crow within his body was thus awakened, letting out a sharp cry and releasing waves of purple energy. The moonlight around him also brightened, swirling together with the sunlight. Streams of pure true essence, resembling golden-purple liquid, dripped downward, gently bathing the radiant golden elixir within him.
Seeing Mei Qing’s sudden surge in cultivation energy, the Master was first taken aback, then nodded approvingly upon observing his condition. He slowly rose, silently stepping outside the room, with the door quietly closing behind him. Gazing at the morning glow in the courtyard, looking up at the clear sky and feeling the refreshing breeze, he couldn’t help but break into a broad smile.
Within mere moments, Mei Qing completed nine cycles of refining the golden elixir with solar and lunar energies, then awoke. Checking his inner energy, he found it more vigorous than ever, realizing his rapid progress, which filled him with joy.
Cultivation has always required both doctrine and technique to complement each other—neither can be lacking. Previously, without a master or sect, Mei Qing’s cultivation of techniques had been greatly restricted. Upon reaching a certain level, no matter how diligently he refined and gathered energy, his progress had slowed. However, now receiving dedicated guidance from both Zhang Shisan and Master, his inspiration was suddenly awakened, giving him the feeling of advancing a thousand miles a day.
In the following days, Zhang Shisan and Master alternated their instruction—one explaining talismans in detail during the day, while the other guided him through magical abilities in dreams at night. Mei Qing, thirsty for knowledge, eagerly absorbed everything, and all three found great joy in this process.
Yet the two acted as if they had conspired—they never asked about Mei Qing’s original cultivation method nor offered any guidance regarding it. Zhang Shisan simply had Mei Qing draw the Five Elements Talismans daily, explaining various aspects of talisman knowledge and sharing his personal experiences. Master, on the other hand, always guided Mei Qing in his dreams, helping him experience various magical abilities and gain a deep understanding of the cultivation path.
Mei Qing had previously encountered the Huayan Sect’s “Six Characteristics,” but only after formally joining the sect did he realize how superficial his former understanding had been. Not even touching upon the “Four Realms” or “Ten Mysterious Gates,” even the “Six Characteristics” were entirely different from what he had imagined.
Previously, Mei Qing had believed that the Six Characteristics referred to six external expressions—joy, anger, sorrow, grief, and so on. Now, under the patient guidance of Master, he realized how limited his understanding had been—he had greatly underestimated the profound and mystical abilities.
The Six Characteristics refer to Total Characteristic, Individual Characteristic, Common Characteristic, Different Characteristic, Integral Characteristic, and Dissolving Characteristic—each pair complementing the other. When fully realized simultaneously, they naturally merge seamlessly. When cultivated to a high level, without sound or movement, one can still captivate minds, communicate with spirits and ghosts, possessing boundless magical abilities.
Master’s method of teaching magical abilities was completely different from Zhang Shisan’s. He never explained step-by-step, but instead demonstrated each magical ability directly before Mei Qing. Though this method seemed strange, during his dream states, Mei Qing felt his senses become extraordinarily sharp. Many things previously invisible or inaudible, and indescribable in words, became crystal clear and comprehensible within dreams.
What pleased Master most about Mei Qing was precisely this ability. In the Huayan Sect, the selection of disciples primarily depended on their悟性 (comprehension). A worthy disciple would understand everything upon seeing it once; whereas a less gifted one might spend a hundred years exhausting himself and still grasp nothing, no matter how much one explained.
Mei Qing possessed extraordinary talent, particularly demonstrating a rare aptitude for understanding the intricate interplay between illusion and reality within the dream realm. Normally, even the most gifted individuals would require some time to adjust when transitioning between dreams and reality. However, Mei Qing not only moved effortlessly through the dream realm upon his first entry, but upon awakening, he could immediately activate the cultivation path and attain profound insights—such remarkable ability even led the master to suspect that he might be the reincarnation of a living Buddha.
Therefore, while teaching Mei Qing wholeheartedly, the master still felt somewhat regretful about having agreed with Zhang Shisan to jointly accept Mei Qing as a disciple, particularly as a lay disciple. With such talent, had Mei Qing taken formal monastic vows and joined the Huayan Sect, attaining Arhatship or even enlightenment would not have been impossible.
Unfortunately, there’s no remedy for regret in this world. The master could only sigh at the uncertain nature of causes and conditions, helplessly muttering, “Such is life.”
Mei Qing himself remained unaware of this. In fact, though he found the Huayan teachings profound and wondrous, deep down, he still favored talismans more.
This wasn’t surprising. Mei Qing had originally begun cultivation through Daoist foundational practices. Later, falling in love with Bi Zhen, he studied numerous Daoist scriptures under her guidance, practiced the Nineteen Golden Elixir Techniques, and translated the divine secrets of the Shenxiao Sect. Though not officially a Daoist practitioner, he had long identified with Daoism. Now cultivating the Shenxiao Thunder Technique, a purely Daoist method, his preference for talismans was only natural.
Moreover, talisman techniques were indeed far more intriguing than Huayan magical abilities. Although he was currently focusing solely on the Five Elements Talismans, the experimentation with combining different talisman forms, as well as the complex calculations involved in dual五行 talismans, provided endless variations and fascinating challenges. This naturally drew him deeper and deeper in, leaving him endlessly engrossed.
Mei Qing completely lost track of time, continuously alternating between the two paths. It wasn’t until one day when Master not only stopped his own instruction but also prevented Zhang Shisan from teaching that he suddenly realized he had been cultivating nonstop for seven days.
“Cultivation transcends time—seven days is nothing!” Zhang Shisan grumbled unhappily as Master interrupted his lesson.
“For you or me, it’s indeed nothing. But Mei Qing has only just embarked on this path and needs time to adapt. Although he can rest during his nightly astral travels, his spirit inevitably grows weary. As the saying goes, work and rest must be balanced; excessive effort will only backfire.” The master replied calmly.
Zhang Shisan slapped his head, nodding repeatedly. As a cultivation expert, how could he not understand the master’s reasoning? It was simply that, having finally acquired an exceptional disciple, he had been overly eager to pass on all his knowledge at once. Moreover, Mei Qing’s progress had been extraordinary, showing none of the usual difficulties faced by novices, which caused him to completely overlook this aspect.
“Staying cooped up indoors all the time, why don’t we go out and stretch our legs a bit?” Zhang Shisan stretched lazily: “What do you think, disciple?”
Mei Qing also stretched, shaking his head vigorously: “Indeed, I’ve nearly rusted shut. Come to think of it, the last time we met, I was just about to visit that fish-bone temple. Since we’re free today, how about we go together, Master and disciple?”
Hearing this, Zhang Shisan frowned: “There seems to be something ominous about that temple, perhaps even entangled with some dark forces… Still, since my disciple wishes to go, let’s check it out and see what treasures, real or fake, we can uncover!”
However, the master replied: “I fear this matter is unwise. If there are entanglements, there may be karmic consequences involved. It would be better if Mei Qing avoids getting involved.”
“Karmic consequences?” Zhang Shisan sneered: “According to your view, should we let Mei Qing fall into such karmic traps?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage